Hiding Bruce Banner
by WatsWitDaMonkey
Summary: In the future, the world goes to shit. A test is administered in school that decides if you are smart enough to live in the outside world or if you are not smart enough. If you are the latter, you are forced to go to a concentration camp where death is inevitable. Bruce Banner is a genius. Tony Stark is too. Bruce fails the test on purpose. Tony must save him. just read it
1. Chapter 1

-Bruce-

They handed me a test in school. They often had, and I had passed, but this one was different. People had made much more of a big deal out of it. I was 15 and the people acted like we didn't know. But we did know; we all knew about the harsh concentration camps that people who were less than smart got sent to. We had all seen someone get taken away after one of these tests had been administered. Fifteen of the forty kids in the grade above me, which would have been eighth grade (just about to leave for high school), were taken during school hours. We all knew where they went to, we just didn't say it out loud.  
I had asked where they were taken to once when I was younger. The teacher called the principal and I was reassured that they went to a place where they were accepted for the idiots that they were. He had used harsh language in describing them. He had said that they didn't belong in our perfect society. They were leaving to make my world better.  
I didn't like that. I didn't like that at all. I didn't think that other people should have to give up so I could have a better life. I didn't think I was worth that much.  
So I looked at the test set before me. I knew that this one would decide my future. Whether I went to the concentration camps or to the next grade level lied within the pages of the test set before me. I knew I could pass it. I had passed tests easily before.  
I failed it on purpose.

-Tony-

It all came down to the final test; of which I knew I would ace. I would get flying marks on it of which I always had. I looked around the room and smirked at my lesser beings, I vaguely wondered which would get taken away. I had finished my test speedily, the test was supposed to take us four hours with a break every hour but I got it done in the first two. So I slept and looked out the window of our glass classroom. I looked over to kids still taking the test. I saw Bruce, I knew he would make it, he was exceptionally smart. I continued looking, I saw Steve. He was dumb as a nail, totally not going to make it. I saw Clint. He might make it. I had heard that he was pretty handy when it came to fighting. He might go to the military. A lot of the dumb people were made to fight wars. I thought about my colleagues; I thought about them in different social positions. Bruce would be a scientist. I would be a world leader. Steve would be a soldier. Clint would be a trainer. The girls in my class would be wives except for three of whom I knew would go to the camps.  
Suddenly the teacher called time. I smiled and handed her my test back, filled with correct answers. I looked over to Bruce. He had a troubled expression. I nudged him, "What up? Test anxiety? You're smart, I'm sure you'll be okay." He didn't look so sure. He ground his teeth together and looked down at his desk. The students sat back in their chairs and absentmindedly stretched or yawned or murmured amongst one another. It was the end of school for that day. Tomorrow, we would get our test results.

I was sitting in my chair next to Bruce as he worriedly bit his nails. I nudged him to stop. He looked over at me and I smiled. He smiled distractedly back. I furrowed my brow, what was up with him?  
I looked up at what the teacher was drawing in the air. It was being transcribed to the board behind her. There were two lists of names. I noticed big men in black suits come in to collect the kids. I smiled.  
One of the men called out the names of the kids who would leave. He did so alphabetically.  
"Kinsey Addams," naturally, I thought, "Fred Aidams, Bruce Banner," I stopped listening. I looked at Bruce, horror struck, as he stood up solemnly and followed the line of students that would leave.  
I watched him, agape, and suddenly protested. "Wait." the man in the black suit looked at me, annoyed.  
"What?"  
"There's been a mistake." I said, frantically. Several kids murmured agreement behind me. We all knew that Bruce was a smart kid.  
"There has been no mistake." He said robotically. Robotically. He was probably a robot, I figured.  
I shook my head, "Uh, yea. There has been. See Bruce Banner is one of the smartest guys I know-"  
"Bruce Banner scored a 12 on this test," and he continued to list names. I looked at Bruce but he looked to the floor, ashamed. The whole class looked at him and he suddenly stood up straight, almost proud looking. Defiance rang in his eyes and he met everyone's looks. When he looked at me I saw it, a hint of fear, a hint of "oh my god someone help me, what have I done?" but he still stood, strong and burly. His gaze lingered on me and I could see it. He blinked morse code at me. "Bye" was his final word.


	2. Chapter 2

-Bruce- (10 years later)

I was put into an insane cell. Which was actually a plus considering that I was alone in it. It was a small cell, I could reach both arms out and touch the walls all around. I had seen other rooms when I was 15 and first came here. I had seen that they put, at the very minimum, five people into a room that was only slightly bigger than my own. It might have gotten worse though, seeing as how I had been here for ten years. I was now 25 and had celebrated no birthdays. I spent most of my time sleeping, it was easy to escape during sleep. Sometimes the guards would get bored and pull you out of your cell into the hall and beat you up. It was brutal.

I thought of the first time they had done so. Two guards were walking around in the hall when I was screaming, acting like I was insane so I could keep the cell, and they suddenly opened the door and laughed at me. I stopped screaming and looked at them, I was sixteen at the time, with a blank stare.

"We'll get no emotion out of him," one of the guards had said and tried to walk away but the other one looked at me and pulled his friend back.

"That just makes it more fun!" he yelled and pulled me out of the cell into the hall. He threw me against the wall and I yelped. He pulled me from the wall and threw me against the bars of another cell on the opposite wall. He laughed as I slid to the floor in pain. He kneed my head into the bars. His friend started laughing as well and joined in. He kicked me in the ribs. The first one stepped on my legs, mashing them into the ground and almost breaking my bones. I screamed. They stood me up again and threw me around some more, throwing punches here and there that stung. They laughed all the while and I yelled, even though I knew it was what they wanted. They threw me down again and kicked me in the groin repeatedly. I screamed again and tried to block their kicks with my hands but they just got kicked too. I curled up into a ball while they kept kicking me, everywhere now. One of them picked me up again and bashed my head into the side of the wall. I fell down again. They picked me back up and threw me into my cell. I didn't sleep that night.

That had happened not as often anymore, they liked hurting younger people; the older you got the less fun you were. When you were older they did other things, sexual things. The guards would hold a gun to your head and make you give them an oral. It was disgusting.

So I lived out my days sleeping and trying to pretend like I didn't exist. I grew thin because of the disgusting food they gave you twice a day(if you were lucky). Sometimes they didn't feed you at all. I would watch as people were dragged from their cells, quite dead, and literally skin and bones. I hoped that wasn't my fate. I still had hope that one day someone would come for me. Someone would give me new light and tell my story to the world. I continued to do math problems in the dirt, trying to make each one more complex than the last. Keeping my brain focused on that was the only way to stay sane and smart.

-Tony- (10 years later) (A/N I don't really know a whole lot about Tony Stark so a lot of the stuff in this chapter is either made up or is gotten from The Invincible Iron Man issue 1)

After Bruce had been taken I stopped being so cocky. I realized that if a brain like that could be taken then anyone could be taken. I focused on my school work and eventually finished with flying colors.

I went around the world for a while. In China an unfortunate thing happened though. There was an evil ruler named Wong-Chu and he tried to kill me but failed. Shrapnel was stuck in my chest from the bomb though, and it was trying to wedge its way into my heart. He had me build him a weapon. He locked me in a room filled with iron scraps and told me to build. I decided that I would build a weapon, but I would use it to save myself. A suit made of iron. I could be a super hero! But there wasn't enough time and I almost died if not for a famous scientist named Yinsen who was locked in with me to help. He did help and my iron-man suit was finished. I took down the evil ruler and gave China back to the people. I also had a nifty suit. But I was still weak from the shrapnel that was trying to burrow its way into my heart.

I went back to America and government officials had me make a name for people who had powers. 'They must be controlled of course,' they had said, 'we can't have super people running around. You need to gather up all the supers you can and make the name. And fund it. You're rich enough.'

I didn't like being told what to do but I did it anyway. I invented S.H.I.E.L.D, which stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division. I funded it with my millions I had got from both family and the fact that I had Stark Industries(which made great guns for the military) and the government was happy. But then they decided I was basically useless now and they made me go off to a concentration camp to guard for a while. I didn't want to. I would rather pretend that they didn't exist. They did, though, and I was soon there. I built a small device and put it over my heart to keep the shrapnel away while I couldn't have my Iron-Man suit on.

I made my way into the entrance of the camp. The walls were high and black. There were sounds of pain and crying from the inside that I could hear. There was a certain sadness about the camp, as if a black raincloud hung over it, but no rain ever fell. A male guard walked me into the camp and I walked along with him, making idol talk.

"So this place is depressing," I started out.

He smirked, "Not when you have some fun inside."

I looked at him quizzically, "It's funner /inside/?"

"Hell yes," he said. Then, at my confused look he explained, "You can do whatever you want with the prisoners. Hurt 'em, make 'em do what yeh want. They'll oblige 'cause they're so dumb. The fear in their eyes is the best. That idiotic stare, they know they can't do anything. Except for the insane ones. They're harder to break. If they still got any sense about 'em, they're fun a'cause of how they scream. One man, been here since fifteen, he's a fun one. I was the first to hit him. He ain't easy to break. But he's fun," he said all this with a disgusting amount of pleasure. The fact that guards had fun with beating the prisoners up disturbed me. I knew I wouldn't do that. It didn't seem right.  
I fell quiet after his little guard speech. I didn't know what to say for once. I went into the guard room and changed into a guard outfit. I couple people there hi-fived me and slapped my back. I smiled and pretended to be one of them.

"Tony Stark?" A man's voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw a man dressed in official wear, "Yes." I said.

"Here is your map. The orange highlight are the halls you will be patrolling. Stay safe and keep these dumb-asses under control." he handed me a paper with highlight on it. It also had little words on it, they labeled the halls and the rooms. I started off in the direction of the hall closest.

I saw a thin and obviously dead man being dragged away by two guards. He must have died of malnutrition. I realized they don't get fed much here. The prisoners were probably dropping like flies. It was a horrible sight. The man had been clawed at, probably some of him eaten. I turned away and continued walking. I passed three more dead people before reaching my hall. It was labeled Insane Hall. I guess the crazy people lived here. I sighed and started walking, looking at the barred doors. In each cell there was only one person, unlike other cells I had seen. I passed a cell and I heard whispering. It wasn't an unusual thing, I mean, I was in the Insane Hall, but this whispering was different. It was coherent. It made sense. And it was math. I walked quietly to where the whispering came from. I looked into the bars and saw a man laying on his stomach and writing in the dirt. He was working out a complex math problem. I watched him for a moment. I looked at him, he was familiar in an old sort of way.

I stepped closer to his cell and said, "Hello?"

He snapped his head up and swept his hand over his dusty math. "What do you want?" he said, fear tinting his voice.

I smiled at him cautiously, "I just want to know your name."

He looked as if he was wracking his brain, "My. My name? My name. Is… Bruce. Bruce Banner." I knew that name. High school. Ten years ago. Bruce Banner was one of the smartest people I knew and yet he was sent to a concentration camp.

"Bruce!" I yelled quietly. I stepped closer to his cell and held onto bars, "Bruce I know you, we went to school together, remember? It's me, Tony, Tony Stark!"

He relaxed suddenly but quickly went back to on-edge, "I. Do remember you," he paused between words, as if it were hard to speak.

I looked at him sadly, "What's the matter Bruce? You aren't stupid. You shouldn't be here. So why are you?" I finally asked the question that had nagged my mind for so long.

"How do I know I can trust you?" he said and stood up, only to back away from the door, into the shadows.

I looked at him, so full of mistrust and something else. I couldn't quite place it, he was scared. He was scared I might do what the other guards did. "Bruce, I'm not like the other guards. I'm not going to hurt you," I reached my hand into the cell, waiting for him to see and take it. I felt him grab it and he stepped into the dim light. I could see it then, the cuts and bruises that lingered on his skin. "Oh Bruce," I whispered.

He smiled at me, "I'm alright Tony. And I'm not crazy either. I just fake it so I can be in this cell where I'm less likely to die because of sickness." he stopped for a moment and looked at me, "The facial hair is new," he smiled, "gosh it's been a while since I've seen a friendly face."

"So you trust me?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yea. You're a complete dick, but I trust you." he laughed quietly.

I smirked, "Hey. I've grown up since then." I protested. "But anyway, why did you score a 12 on that test?"

He looked at me seriously, "This is a protest. I know I'm smart. I could've passed that test. But I wanted people to see that what they're doing is wrong. I wanted people to see that they could put smart people in jail. People make mistakes. People are people. And the ones that aren't as smart as the government thinks they should be getting put into camps like this isn't fair. It's not good. Tony the people here are evil. They make you do things or they come this close," he held up his finger and thumb, "to killing you and then they leave you in your cell to suffer. It's bad Tony. I don't know how much more I can take, I'm not strong enough any more to take it all. I'm only twenty-five but I feel like I'm seventy. Tony, I don't want to leave though, that would mean that I get the comfortable life and that all these people are left to die, I can't have that blood on my hands Tony, I gotta stay," I looked at Bruce's eyes. He looked sane enough, but now he just seemed excited for some reason. He turned away from me, "More are coming. You can't be seen talking to me or they'll make you do stuff to me, goodbye." he went back into his cell and rocked himself, putting on the crazy front again. I backed away and walked off. I would stop by his cell every day to talk to him, I promised myself.


	3. Chapter 3

-Bruce- (2 weeks later)

It was great to have Tony. I was so filled with joy when I first saw him that I got carried away. I told him too much, I should have slowed my roll and waited for him to say something more. Fear had overcome me though and I couldn't help it.

I stayed calm now and enjoyed his visits. He helped to keep the guys away that wanted to 'play' with me. Somehow they knew, or thought, I was his toy. I was cool with that as long as he didn't start doing bad stuff to me.

I leaned on the back wall of my cell and thought of Tony's visits. It made me smile. He always brought a piece of food, an apple or some bread and cheese when he could. I was thankful for it; I was thankful for him. In some ways I felt something more for him, whenever I saw him in the hall and he would pause to wink at me, my heart would flutter a little bit. My stomach would leap into my throat when he held onto my hand for comfort. I felt safe around Tony, but it might have been because he was a small ray of sunshine in this dreaded place.

I heard footsteps in the hall. Tony! It must be Tony. I went to my bars to look out into the hall. It wasn't Tony. It was a man and a woman guard and they marched right to my door.

"Bruce Banner," the woman said.

I giggled madly, "I haven't the faintest, Miss Spider."

The man didn't laugh nor did the woman. They got out a key and pulled me out of the cell. "Heeey! What are you doing?!" I shrieked.

They each took one of my arms and dragged me down the hall like a dead man. I heard more footsteps. This time it was Tony.

"Hey, hey, hey. He's not dead is he?" Tony said, slightly worried, I could tell, but putting up a great mask for the guards.

"No," the woman said stockily, "he's wanted for testing."

I laughed deliriously, "Are you gonna make me take a test?! I don't have a pencil. But I'll make it a great test I'll draw in my answers if I can remember how-" I was cut short by a punch to the face.

"Shut up, Banner." the man dragging me said.

I moaned slightly, my jaw throbbing. Tony looked at me quickly and back to the male guard, "You could've asked nicely," he said.

The woman was getting annoyed I could tell, "Stark move out of our way," she said to him.

"Now wait a minute, I just wanna know where they're taking my favorite toy," Tony said, playing on the owner-slave relationship people thought we had. He put up his hands innocently.

The woman spat near Tony's feet, "They're doing tests on him like I said. Experiments. Now move," Tony looked at me apologetically and stepped out of the way. He blinked morse code at me, saying "Bye" like I had all those years ago, but I blinked back "no" and smiled.

The man and woman dragged me away to a laboratory. I looked around at my surroundings and muttered things like 'shiny' or 'pretty' or 'whats dat do?' I didn't get a reply but I wasn't looking for one. They laid me down on a table and strapped me onto it. Then they left the room and a scientist came in. He looked at me and smiled wickedly.

"Lucky you!" he said, "You get to be a super person. You will have great strength and ability. You will go off to war and fight for America," he stopped speaking to me and flipped dials around on the large monitor beside me. He took two long tubes away from the machine and inserted the ends into my veins. It hurt like hell because he didn't insert the beginning tool. He also did it sloppily. I started to worry. He was going to kill me. I squirmed under my straps.

He looked at me evilly and made sure that everything was in order again and flipped a switch. "It begins," he said. A green tinted yet clear liquid began to go into the tubes. I screamed when the liquid went into my body. It was the worst pain in the world. My veins were on fire. My insides were on fire. I was burning from the inside out and there was nothing I could do about it. I screamed again and again. I writhed where I was. Suddenly there was a shift. I felt myself get bigger everywhere. I looked down at myself; my skin was turning green and my arms were stretching the clasps. I heard the scientist shriek and vaguely saw him run out of the room. I was in so much discomfort and I felt like my skin was not my skin, it was someone else's. I, or not really I, I wasn't myself. I didn't feel like Bruce Banner anymore if that made sense. I couldn't keep hold of my conscious. I felt my arms and legs break free of the restraints and I felt myself get up and let out a roar. I felt an invasion in my mind. Someone else was thinking for me. Was this how the experiment was supposed to go? No, the scientist had yelled and ran away. This must be a malfunction. I grew angry at what the doctor had done to me. I was filled with rage, it hung over me like a big, green, hulking mass of pure anger. I smashed the machine that did this to me. I smashed the table I was strapped to. I felt all this happening but somewhere inside I knew I shouldn't. That could be my only hope of getting cured of this, oops, now it's gone. I couldn't stop, this other thing that took over my body was in control and he smashed and destroyed everything in the laboratory.

-Tony-

When I first heard Bruce scream at what they were doing to him I got worried. What were they doing? Why were they doing it? Would Bruce be okay after all this? Thoughts continued to go through my mind, nagging questions that refused to leave until answered.  
I put my hands to my head and paced the hall. I listened as he screamed again and again. I needed to keep my cool though. If anyone found out how much I cared for him he, and I, would be killed.

He screamed again though and I could feel myself breaking down from the inside out. Suddenly it went quiet and I heard one yell from the doctor. I took my hands away from my head and stopped pacing. I looked at the door and saw the scientist run out of the room looking as if he had just seen a ghost. Suddenly there was a roar and smashing sounds. Bruce was in the room with that thing! I looked around carefully, no one else was in the corridor. I went into the room.

There was a huge green monster wreaking havoc in the room. The monitors were smashed and the monster was the one doing it. Suddenly the monster stopped and plopped down the the floor. I stalked along the walls, looking for Bruce. I called out quietly for him. The monster snapped his head over to me. It stood up and roared. I ran away from it farther into the room. It chased me, leaving dents in the floor and breaking more and more things. I was terrified. It would kill me and then go on to find Bruce, wherever he was, and kill him too. Then the monster would go out into the rest of the camp and kill everyone else too. I screamed for Bruce again. It roared in response. I suddenly stopped and turned around. It kept going, running over me, and then stopped and turned around to look. I saw his face, his eyes were familiar. Like Bruce's only green. His hair was almost the same as Bruce's just more messy. The basic structure of the face was exactly like Mr. Banner's. I stared at the beast before me and realized that this is what the doctors did to him. The scientist made this beast out of Bruce.

I looked at it while it looked around the room, "Bruce?" I questioned it.

It snapped its head to me and roared again. It ran towards me again. It wasn't Bruce. It had taken over Bruce. I ran in the other direction, trying to keep it in the room, but also trying to stay alive. The beast stomped around, smashing everything.

I wondered if the thing could turn back into Bruce or if it would stay a monster forever. I continued running around, but I soon grew tired. I stopped again, hoping to have the same effects as last time. It worked; the monster stopped as well and looked around for me. I silently slid under a table and hid from it.

The monster suddenly stopped. It stopped looking for me, it stopped moving, and it stopped making noises. It stared blankly up and then fell over onto the ground, asleep. I silently moved from under my hiding spot. I approached the hulking, green, thing and watched in amazement as it suddenly turned back into Bruce. It was Mr. Banner again. I put my hand over my gaping mouth and looked away. He looked so peaceful, even though this demon was inside him, as he slept. The scientist and a bunch of army men came into the room. They lined up and took Mr. Banner away. I followed them.

I walked several paces behind them, watching and memorizing where they took him to. They dropped him into his cell with a bundle of clothes (his stretched out pants didn't want to stay on) and walked off.

I pondered the situation. Why wouldn't they put him into a cell that would make more sense in his case. Why wouldn't they keep him under surveillance, watching him, making sure he didn't turn into the monster? Why didn't they run more tests and make him better? I pondered all this while I watched Bruce sleep fitfully. He tossed in his cell, making small noises every now and then.

There were no other guards patrolling the hall I was in; I was the only one who did except for Tuesdays and weekends, which were my days off. I slid down to the floor and watched Bruce, wondering what exactly was going through his wonderful head


	4. Chapter 4

-Bruce-

There was a monster in my closet. He was big and green and he wanted out. He was very angry and I could hear him roaring from behind the door. I sat on my bed, hiding under my sheets like a frightened child and watching the door intently, hoping to anything that the door didn't open and that the beast wouldn't come out. He kept pushing on the door and I could see it bend under his weight. He was going to come out. I couldn't let him come out. I bravely got out of bed and went to the door; I pushed on the door and against the monster that lay behind it. He roared again, louder this time, and pushed harder. Suddenly I couldn't keep hold and I fell back, seeing the beast come out of the closet and filling up the space of my room.

I woke with a start. I sat up and looked at my surroundings. I was back in my cell. I was also naked. I felt the need to cover my bareness and I soon found out why when I heard a familiar voice.  
"Bruce?" Tony Stark asked, looking into my cell. I covered myself quickly, my face going red. He turned away and I could tell in the dim light that he was also blushing.  
I looked at the back of his head as I asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any spare clothes would you?"  
He vaguely gestured inside my cell, "I thought I saw them throw some in there with you."  
I looked around for them and quickly pulled on the pants and underwear, forgetting the shirt for now. I stood up and went to the door of the cell, grabbing hold of individual bars. I looked at Tony and said, "I'm good now." I smiled at him when he turned around.  
He looked at my bare chest for a moment before snapping his eyes back up to my face. He smiled back at me but it was a sad smile, "Bruce do you remember the last couple of hours?" He asked the question tentatively.  
I thought back. I stretched my brain because for some reason it was difficult to remember what had happened. Why had I woke up naked? "I- I don't think I can. I mean, I remember being taken into a laboratory and I remember," I looked down and paused as it came back to me, "the greenish fluid. They put it into me. Into my veins." I looked back up at Tony and said, "What does it do."  
He looked away from me and very quietly mumbled something. I asked him to speak up and he said, "It makes you get big and green. You turn into a," he paused, looking almost pained at the lack of better word choice, "a monster." he looked back up at me and put his hands onto the bars as well. My mouth hung slightly open at what he said. He continued, "But Bruce I mean, you aren't in control then, you don't know what happens to you. You can't stop it can you?" He looked deeply into my eyes, "It's not you. You aren't the monster, it's something that's inside you."  
I was a monster. It started to sink in. Somehow I turn into this big, green thing. Apparently, from all the justification, I did damage. I shook my head, "What did I do?"  
"You didn't do anything," Tony began, putting emphasis on 'you', "it's not Bruce Banner when it's the thing. It's a hulking, brainless beast, I saw it, it tried-" he stopped himself.  
I closed my eyes, "It tried to what."  
"It chased me. Tried to kill me." he paused and suddenly took my hand that had been gripping so hard to the bar, "That's how I know it's not you." I opened my eyes and looked back at him as he continued, "I know you'd never kill me."  
I stepped away from the door of my cell, suddenly angry, "But now I might do it and not even mean to! Now I could do that and not know it until the next morning! I could kill you and every other person that comes into my path!" I stomped back to the bars, "And I wouldn't even mean to." Suddenly I felt this change inside me, like a door opening. I stumbled back into my cell and fell against the wall. I felt a discomfort inside me, inside my bones. I felt myself changing.  
"Bruce?" Tony said worriedly.  
I looked away from my greening arms to his face and that was the last thing I saw before everything went black.

-

I woke up in my cell. I sat up and leaned against the wall. I saw, laying next to where I had woken up, a pair of stretched and torn pants. I pulled them to me and looked at them. This was what the monster did. This was how large he was. I sighed and leaned back against the wall. I looked at the bars of my cell door. They were bent, all of them. Some of them were broken or missing. Luckily, I-the other guy- didn't escape. I briefly wondered where Tony was, seeing as how he was the last person I saw. I wondered if he was okay; if the monster had hurt him I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.  
I watched the hall through the mangled bars. No one passed. I stood up and walked to them. I looked across the hall to the other cell. The woman inside of it, who was really crazy, looked out of it. She stared at me and screamed. I retreated inside of my cell, immensely disappointed and scared of myself. If even Marisa was scared of me then I must really be a monster.  
She continued to scream even though she couldn't see me. Suddenly she stopped. I realized why. A pair of guards, male and female, came down the hall. I saw Marisa point her dirty finger through the bars and towards me. I gulped. The guards looked to my cell and at my mangled bars.  
"Thinking of escaping, Banner?" the girl said.  
The man unlocked my door and entered. I whimpered as he knelt down to me, "Did you do that? To your cage, did you do that?" he pointed at the bars. He struck me across my face. I let out a screech. The woman laughed at me.  
"Why are you naked? Where's your clothes? Been jacking off without us?" The man said tauntingly and smacked me again. I tried to keep quiet but I couldn't help but let tears roll out. He moved his hands across my chest and down to my crotch. The woman stood behind him with her arms crossed over her chest and smiling. The man thumbed me for a moment before the woman pushed him out of the way. She sat on my lap and moved around on me. She grabbed my shoulders and kissed me hard. She let go and smacked me before kissing me again. She took my hand and made it travel along her body. She used her other hand to hold a gun to my head. I whimpered as the tears continued to roll down my face. She moved to where she was on her knees. She pushed herself onto my face and rubbed. Luckily the fabric was there to stop anything.  
Suddenly she was pulled off me and I saw her be thrown from the room. The man was pushed out too. My door was closed and locked. I heard a voice yell at the pair of guards, telling them to get on with patrolling. I breathed a sigh of relief that it was over. The two guards scrambled out and back onto patrol.  
I leaned on the wall and slid down it to the floor, closing my eyes.

-Tony-

I looked at Bruce. I felt so sorry for him. He didn't deserve anything that had been done to him in the last 10 years. I mean, first getting beaten up all the time, then getting his virginity taken in no special or romantic way, then being experimented on and being turned into a monster!  
I knelt in front of his cell and looked at him, the perfect figure for pain and depression. Bruce had no hope whatsoever. Bruce suddenly snapped his head up and looked at me. I looked back and held onto bars that weren't broken.  
"Hey," I said sadly and cautiously.  
He nodded, "Hey." We were silent for a few moments. He didn't bother to cover himself, he crossed his legs and just leaned against the wall. "Funny day," he said suddenly.  
I laughed humorlessly, "Funny indeed."  
He continued, "But not funny 'haha', funny as in the worst day of my life."  
I didn't respond for I didn't know what to say. We just sat. I opened the door and went in cautiously. I sat next to him against the wall. He scooted closer to me and leaned his head on my shoulder wordlessly. We sat like that for a moment before he suddenly grabbed for my hand and held on tightly, as if it were a lifeline. In a way I guess it was. I looked at him as he closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the world. I put an arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him. I could feel him relax into me.  
He fell asleep. I wanted to stay and watch him sleep but I couldn't be seen inside his cell. I had to continue on my route. I carefully moved my arm from around his shoulders and set him down gently so as to not wake him. I laid his torn pants over him as a makeshift blanket and used the spare shirt as a kind of pillow. I would need to find him some more pants later.  
I closed and locked his door and continued along the path of my route. I continued along the path when suddenly an arm reached from a cell and grabbed my leg.  
A scratched voice spoke, "The man must end." The hand released me and retreated into the cell. I looked inside and saw a woman rocking herself in the room. She stared evilly at me with wall-eyed vision.  
I shook off her look and continued walking. In the guards' room I took a seat in the brightly lit and oddly clean room. The two guards that were harassing Bruce approached me.  
"Why do you stick up for the fun one," the woman asked.  
I looked at her, "I don't stand up for him, I just don't like sharing my toys."  
The man shook his head, "I've seen you though. You talk to him like he makes sense, like he's smart. You never play with him when I see you. And you're always a little late coming back from patrol. The boss is fine with it because you're pretty much the only guard in that hall but we see what you do. You're a freak and you treat all the prisoners with kindness. It's not normal,"  
I frowned, "I just don't think all this is too right. It's unnecessary, I mean nothing has changed really in the outside world by keeping the smart people and the dumb people apart. And how do we know if they're really smart or dumb when we bring them in at the age of 15? They might grow up and understand more concepts than before," I stood up, "so I refuse to treat these people differently." I walked away to my dorm type place that I shared with four other guards.  
I went in and got out my Iron Man suit as something to work on and keep me busy. Another guard came in. His name was Phillip. He went straight to his bed.  
"Tomorrow's cutting day," He said vaguely, "get your scissors."  
I turned to him, "What?"  
He looked over at me, "Tomorrow is annual hair cut day. As we patrol we go through and ask if they want a hair cut. If they do we can cut it however we want. Sometimes the mean guys, they cut it bad, with it patchy and all different lengths and all that," he started drifting into sleep. I looked back at my suit and frowned. If Bruce got a hair cut before I got to him it would probably end up bad. Maybe that was why it was so long. He just didn't get it cut. He was afraid that they would make it odd. I would cut his hair if he wanted me to though.  
Wait. Tomorrow was Tuesday. My day off. I cursed aloud. Someone might cut his hair from force to get a laugh and I wouldn't be able to do anything until Wednesday.  
I put my Iron Man suit up and went to bed angrily.

-

I slept in. I looked over to the clock and saw that it read 9:37. I groaned and sat up before remembering it wasn't my shift today. I stood up anyway and got dressed for the day. I brushed my teeth and got ready to go out into town.

Outside it was cool but just warm enough to go without a jacket: a good summer-melting-into-fall day. I went to the secluded parking lot and beeped for my hover car to come to me. I climbed into it and set off. It felt good to get out of the prison. There was never any good sunshine or happiness in the prison, just a lot of sad and dirtiness.  
I set the car to auto pilot, headed toward the city. I sat back in my seat and turned up the music in my car. Playing was Pink Floyd. I turned it louder to try and block out my own thoughts. It didn't work and thoughts of Bruce being tortured crept into my mind.


	5. Chapter 5

-Bruce-

It was a Tuesday, I knew because Tony wasn't coming today. I let my mind wander for a moment about him. What was he doing today?  
My thoughts were interrupted by boots clanking and pausing in the halls. It was just the guard I knew, but the pausing was strange. There were moments of no sound except for a few little snips every now and then. It was cutting day, I realized with horror. I shrunk back into my cell and pretended to not be alive.  
The guard looked into my cell, grinning madly and he showed me his scissors. "Snip snip!" he said eerily. I cowered in my cell, hugging my knees and hoping he wouldn't come in.  
"Now, it's mandatory to ask. But if you say no," he paused, "well I'm still cutting you up." He grinned at me again and asked, "Want your hair cut?" I shook my head vigorously.  
He laughed and opened my door with vigor. He came to me and pulled me up by my long hair. I whimpered in pain. I could feel a shift in myself. He began to cut my hair. I couldn't tell how he did it. It was sloppy though. I felt more discomfort in my bones. He took the scissors away from my hair and went to the front of me, still holding the scissors. He put the blade to my face. I yelled out as he cut across my face. He smiled as the discomfort inside me grew. I could see the other guy's face peeking out from behind my eyes. I could feel myself growing. I looked at my arms and body and saw myself greening and becoming larger. The discomfort grew to pain and I screamed. The man with the scissors looked at me a final time and ran from the room.  
I made myself be able to see. I needed to be able to keep some control, or at least not black out. I could feel myself roar and I saw myself push out of my cell, which was too small now. I felt myself run down the hall and I spotted the guard that had hurt me. He saw me and ran like crazy even more. I chased him and overpowered him. I felt my hands raise up and then come down on top of him. He screamed and that was the end of that guard. I moved on from him and continued running down the hall. On the inside I was screaming and crying at what I had done. Yet my body continued to run along and not care. I ran along the passage and somehow ended up outside. I squinted at the sunlight and ran along with no particular goal that I knew of. We, the other guy and I, were stopped by a flying metal man. I couldn't comprehend it at the time, who or what it was, so the other guy decided to smash it. He chased after it and I heard the voice of a person come out of it. It was talking to me, saying my name as it flew along. I knew it somehow but I couldn't comprehend at the time so I continued to chase after it. We ran along until the flying robot person led us into a warehouse. I was pretty sure that it was abandoned.  
The other guy roared in frustration that he couldn't get the flying guy. He jumped up and caught the man in his hands.  
When closer I could hear the words and for some reason we both paused, listening, "Bruce! Bruce, come on buddy let me go, you're going to kill me! You don't want that; you'd never be able to live with yourself! You'd never be able to live with yourself if you killed me, Tony." the Iron Man stopped speaking and I, somehow, took control long enough to let him go. I smiled to myself in triumph but the other guy wasn't so happy.  
Suddenly I felt him take a stronger grip on things and the rest, I couldn't remember. I blacked out.

-

I woke up on the floor of the warehouse. I felt achy as I tried to move. I actually couldn't move, I realized. Rope was tied loosely around me. Once I got a bearing on that and I was able to escape those I realized where I was. I was in the warehouse. Suddenly it all came back to me, but the memories were so fuzzy that I could barely call them memories. I remembered what had happened, the turning, the Iron Man that was Tony Stark, the chase, the warehouse and the fact that I could take control, even for a second.  
I put my hands to my head and shook out the memories. I breathed loudly and looked around again. I turned around and saw a red and yellow man sitting far behind me.  
"Hello!" Tony said, taking off his helmet.  
I laughed, "How is it, that every time I wake up naked you are always somewhere to be seen?"  
He laughed too, "Sheer luck."  
I looked at him, "How so?"  
"Well," he paused and I could see him blush, "you're very handsome."  
I raised an eyebrow, "Really?" I looked down at myself and then back up at him, "You know, I thought so too!" We both laughed and he walked down and handed me a bundle of clothes. I quickly put them on and looked back at Tony.  
"So, man of iron." I tapped on his suit, "Why?"  
"It's a long story," he began.  
I shrugged, "So, tell me. Waste my time, I don't care. I'm out of the prison for now, let's make it last." I sat down and he followed suit, smiling.  
Tony told me a fantastic story about his travels and about an evil ruler in China that dared all to fight him. He told me about the shrapnel and he tapped on the small blue-colored light that I had always saw under his shirt, but while he had the Iron Man suit on it seemed more useful. He told me about the scientist Yinsen and I became jealous because all the westerners thought he was dead, Yinsen was a famous and great scientist. I scoffed and told Tony about my jealousy. He laughed and continued his story as I leaned onto his shoulder. He told me more about working with Yinsen and how he saved Tony. He told me about the general workings of the Iron Man suit and he pointed things out as he talked. He told me that the original model was much simpler.  
When he finished his story I was amazed and kind of sleepy. It was growing dark outside and stars were beginning to come out. I gazed in wonder at the beautiful things I hadn't seen in years.  
"We could run away." Tony said suddenly.  
I looked up at him, "We couldn't Tony. It wouldn't be fair."  
"Screw fairness. This place isn't good. You deserve better, you don't need to be here, you never needed to be here." He said, putting an arm around my shoulder.  
"No. I'm not better than anyone down there in the prison. It wouldn't be fair if I left and they didn't." I protested.  
Tony smiled at me, "I love you." He said suddenly.  
"W-what?" I said, confused.  
"I mean, you always think of other people before yourself. You would rather die than have somebody else have a bad life." He stopped and looked at me kindly, "I'll say it again. I lo-"  
I cut him off with a kiss. He was surprised at first but then he melted into it. Our lips moved together in perfect synchronization. He put his hands on my back, pulling me to him. I put my hands in his hair. In all essentials it was my first kiss. First one that counted anyway. First one I enjoyed and wanted more of.  
When it was over we pulled apart slowly, drinking in all our heavy emotions. He moved his hands to rest on my waist. My hands traveled from his hair to his hands and I held them in-between us. I smiled lazily at him.  
"I've been waiting for you to do that since high school," I confessed.  
"Really? Was it worth the wait?" he asked.  
I nodded, "I suppose so." I stopped and then said, "You're really a fantastic kisser. No wonder you got all the girls."  
He barked a laugh and said, "I don't know why. I never really wanted them. I mean, as you said when we first saw each other here, I was a complete dick so I kind of used them. I think I was just hiding behind them though."  
I smiled and leaned into the taller man's chest before snapping back into the moment, "Shoot, we should probably get back to the camp. They're gonna kill us."  
"We'll do more than kill you," an unknown voice said, "we'll torture you and make sure you never see each other again."  
We both looked to the unknown voice. It was the supreme guard. The guard of the guards. He was the big man around here and what he said was final. We scrambled up to a standing position.  
Suddenly Tony said, "He's smart. Give him the test for the 15 year olds and he will pass it. He should finish school." I looked to him like he was crazy for a moment before looking back over to the prison guard.  
He was bubbling with laughter, "Really? Smart? Him? He didn't get an education! He's an idiot!"  
"Let him take the test again and he'll prove you wrong." Tony said bravely.  
"And if he doesn't?" the guard was delirious with excitement.  
Tony thought for a moment, "If he doesn't then I'll go into a cell."  
"No!" I yelled but was ignored.  
"Really now?!" the big man said, "You'll take his place? I love this idea. If he fails the test then you go to a cell as well as him. If he passes then he goes free and continues his education and you stay here. A guard. Either way I can't lose!"  
He walked to us and handcuffed me and then he walked off, expecting us both to follow. Tony looked at me sadly.  
"So much for running away," he commented.  
The big man didn't pause as he said, "Come on boys one of you's got a test to take." We followed him and were led back inside to the camp. I looked up a final time at the beautiful stars above.  
"When we get away from this, I'll make sure you can see the stars," Tony whispered. I smiled at him. This might be the last time I saw him. I looked back ahead of me and tried to stay strong. I was so tired of staying strong though because every day, I had to stay strong and fight to not lose my mind. I had have mental stability and pureness to keep my wits about me. I couldn't give up, not for one second ever, or I might lose myself and never be found. So I was tired from the mental struggle, I could feel myself breaking down but for the moment I was able to stay unbroken.

-Tony-

We walked along the path, willingly going to what we knew would be our deaths. I was told to go back to my guard room while Bruce went to a separate room to take the test. I didn't want to but I knew that I had to. Bruce and I looked at each other a final time before departing for the night. I wondered whether I would get to see him tomorrow and be able to give him a proper hair cut or not.  
I went into my room quietly but everyone was awake.  
Dave, one of my roommates, looked at me and said, "You were gone forever, man." They all rose, "You were with that Banner dick weren't you. We all know you'd screw him face to face. We don't take too kindly." The men rounded on me and cornered me.  
I held up my hands, innocently, but also warningly, "Woah, woah guys. Come on. We don't wanna go making the wrong move here do we?"  
Mark cracked his knuckles and punched me square in the face. "Take off that suit and fight like a man." He commanded.  
I pretended to think on that, "Well it's three against one … and in my iron suit I could easily take on five and up … so I think that I'll just keep the suit on. Seems as if it might save me!"  
Mark looked at me menacingly and I decided I would take off the suit. Why not? I could take down Mark and Dave and then Phillip didn't seemed too inclined to fight me, so, if I beat the others he would back down. I pressed the button that commanded the Iron Man suit to break away from me without excess machinery and then it folded neatly into a suitcase.  
Mark promptly attacked me and then held my hands behind my back. "Hey!" I shouted unhappily. Dave stood in front of me and punched me. I struggled against Mark's grip but he was too strong. Punches continued to be thrown at me and I couldn't do much more. I dropped to the floor, pretending to be unconscious.  
"Fuck," Mark said, letting go of me, "I hate it when they do that."  
They stood pondering what to do for a second, "Let's kill him." or "Let's wake him up and punch him more." and finally "Let's wake him up and make him do us." That one seemed to be a crowd pleaser for it is what they did with me.

-Bruce-

I was in a small room with bright lights. Seated at a school-like desk, I waited until someone brought me the test. In the time I waited I took in my surroundings and thought about Tony. He was a fabulous man and simply charming. I loved him, truly, and when he kissed me my thoughts were confirmed that he loved me too. I was excited to leave the camp and continue the school I never was given the chance to finish. But there were two things: Tony, and everything I worked for and fought against in the past 15 (nearing 16) years I had been at camp. Tony wouldn't be able to come with me, or at least, the government wouldn't allow it, and my entire life had been a protest. I was a smart man! And if I got out it would prove that I was and that the camps are terrible things.  
I knew I had to leave, I wouldn't survive another year or two in the camp. Tony would find me eventually, he was just too determined to let me go that easily. But I needed to forget about him, this monster in me couldn't be let out for fear of killing him. I needed to let him know that he needed to leave me be. He needed to forget about me and move on with his life. I knew what my fate was, I would never be aloud to ever have a partner. I couldn't ever have a romantic relationship for fear that … that that thing would come out and kill them.  
My thoughts were cut short when the boss came in and plopped down a large test.  
"It's tedious. And long. And hard. You'll get a 5 minute break every hour. The test is four hours long. Have fun." He said and left.  
I looked at the mass and took a pencil from the small stack given. I opened it up to the first page and began.

-Tony- (The next day)

I was a complete mess. Luckily Phil was there and he unlocked me from where I was cuffed to the bed. He mumbled apologies every now and then. I ignored him and went to the bathroom where I took a shower. Half an hour later I stepped out and Phil was no where to be seen. I didn't want to but I knew I had to get up and do a patrol.  
I was dying on the inside. If I didn't see Bruce today, or ever again, it would kill me. If he left the concentration camp I would pack up and leave. They couldn't make me stay. I could go out into the world and live up my family's legacy. I would be a great inventor, famous for the Iron Man suit. I would find Bruce and whisk him away to where no one could ever hurt him again. I would care for him and find a cure for the thing inside him. I thought of the beast now. It needed a name.  
I thought of different names while I put on my guard outfit. Jolly Green Giant … Green Machine … Kermit … The Hulk … hmm. I liked the last one. I also liked Green Machine. I would have to ask Bruce.  
Bruce.  
I hurried along the path to my patrol route. I didn't see anyone in the halls luckily, no questions and no one to stop me. Once in the Insane Hall I made my way slower, yet still hurriedly. I had to make sure that everyone else was okay too. I approached Bruce's cell. I took a breath and looked in.  
It was empty.  
"Damn." I cursed aloud. I leaned against the bars. There was a noise behind me.  
"Psst. Psst!" I looked behind me at another cell. I looked around, "you, guard! You Tony Stark?" I approached the cell cautiously.  
"Yes.." I said. A filthy hand shoved a note out into the hall.  
"From Banner. Wanted me to give this to you. Take it!" the voice hissed. I took the note carefully. I opened it and looked at the handwriting for a moment before actually reading it.

"Tony,  
I passed the test. They're going to take me away now. I love you but please, after I finish school I'm going away, far away from civilization. I'm going where I can't hurt anyone. Don't come after me.  
Goodbye,  
David"

I stuffed the note into my shirt and gave my thanks in the form of an apple to the woman. I went along the rest of my route, finishing quickly.  
When done, I packed my things and left without a word. No one asked where I went and I didn't tell anyone. I just disappeared.  
I didn't know exactly where I was going, though I had an idea. I would go home and use my technology to find Bruce and save him. I didn't care that the letter said to leave him be, I needed to find Bruce.

By nightfall I was back in New York City, back in Stark Tower. I had left it in the hands of my trusty assistant Pepper.  
Oh shit. Pepper.  
She wasn't only my assistant; she was my off and on girlfriend. I cursed aloud as I looked at the doors to the tower. I solemnly walked inside and was met with JARVIS's cheery "Hello again sir. Shall I alert Miss Potts of your arrival?"  
"Oh JARVIS. It's good to hear your voice." I paused as I thought about it, "Sure. Tell Pepper I'm here."  
"Yes, sir." was his English reply. It really was good to hear his voice again. It would be awesome to have Dummy around to do everything for me too.


End file.
